Since this one is off to the gallery tomorrow, I figured I best finish it up today! So, I did just that . . . finished and going to the work room for framing in just ten minutes from now.

Only four and a half hours of work today, but one leg is better than none! Delicate textures today and making sure they read as such.

A horse is a horse, of course . . . of course . . .

Next up on the drawing board . . . something for the horsey set (or anyone else for that matter!).

I was very pleased to be notified yesterday that both the works that I submitted for the upcoming exhibition, Impressions of New England, at the Bennington Center, were juried in. As indicated, the show opens later this fall but currently, I have two works hanging at the Center included in American Artists Abroad .

The Bennington Center for the Arts is a fine venue located in the southwestern corner of the state, so if in the area, stop in and view some fine artworks.

It's still mid August and it's still summertime (and the livin' ain't that easy!), but autumn is not far off. And with the approach of autumn, a reminder that the soon-to-be published Strokes of Genius 2 by North Light Books, will be arriving in October. A half dozen of my drawings will be represented in the 140 selected works included in the book. I am quite proud to have my work spotlighted in this upcoming volume and will be happy to offer signed copies once the books are available. I am not sure of the pricing as yet, but will make an announcement here and on my web site when that information is forthcoming, and just how you can order a signed copy from my studio.

Long hours on this one yesterday and . . fini!

A new little ditty up on the drawing board now. I am often asked that most 'endearing' of questions at shows and gallery openings . . . 'How long does it take you to do something like that?' The accurate answer would be . . . a lifetime!

Of course, I never want to sound flip, so that is not the answer that comes out.

But in reality, sometimes it takes as long to do a small work like this one (image on this will be 3" x 5") as it would to do a work three times this size. It's all dependent upon what is going on in a particular work and just how noodly I need or want to be with it. As an example, this one is going to be very reliant upon getting the sandy texture of the ground true and right. So, there will be a lot of time spent in noodling that texture to make it so. In addition, when I get to the birds, the feathering will be very important and take some time too.

Even though this will wind up being a rather small, simple work, I want it to shine, so the devil will truly be in the details.

'The Lazy Afternoon' 4" x 6"

A couple of hours of finish up work this morning and this piece is now ready for a signature and a frame.

A little something I have been diddling on for the last day or two. It is a small commission work, image size 4" x 6".

Early departure from the studio and a pleasant morning at the County Fair. Met an artist friend and we spent the better part of the morning at the show horse ring. Got some great reference material. Wondering through some of the exhibition barns later on, found some other interesting faces! After lunch, I wondered out to some old back roads I knew from way back when I used to live out that way, and found some very obliging cows. Not a bad day in mid-August, steamy Maryland.

Image size on this one is 9 1/4" x 7 1/4".

I guess I have spoken before about my 'fear of the water'! I don't do water very often, and certainly not large open expanses of the stuff if at all possible. Occasionally though, it is nice to take up the challenge and try and make a splash. This being a relatively small work (a bit over 9" x 7"), I figured it was worth the effort and, so far, so good.

Now, let's see if I can finish it out without screwing it up!

Another week begins . . . and 'slow and steady wins the race' . . . or so it is said. (Who said that, anyway?) Bringing this one up to date. Yeah I know, doesn't look like there has been much progress or much work going on. Ooo contrar, mon cher. A lot of tightening and noodling now, bringing things forward, pushing things back, making tight breaks between lights and darks, doing my usual over layering to bring depth . . . its the 'little things' you know.